Tumbling drum for removing water in drying material



A. L. PU RK'ETT 3,328,897

July 4, 1967 TUMBLING DRUM FOR REMOVING WATER IN DRYING MATERIAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed OCL a, 1964 INVENTOR fll V/N L. PURKETT July 4, 1967 A. L. PURKETT 3,328,897

TUMBLING DRUM FOR REMOVING WATER IN DRYING MATERIAL Filed Oct. 5, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIC5.3

INVENTOR flLV/AI L- PURKET ATTORNEYS y 4, 1967 A. L. PURKETT 3,328,897

TUMBLING DRUM FOR REMOVING WATER IN DRYING MATERIAL Filed Oct. 5, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 A i 4 j no l 32 INVENTOR /7L V/A/ 4.. PURKETT ATTORNEYS July 4, 1967 A. L. PURKETT TUMBLING DRUM FOR REMOVING WATER IN DRYING MATERIAL Filed 001;. 5, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR flLVl/V L. FUR/(E77 BY WWW United States Patent TUMBLING DRUM FOR REMOVING WATER IN DRYING MATERIAL Alvin L. Purkett, Joplin, Mo., assignor to Purkett Manufacturing Company, Inc., Joplin, M0., a corporation of Missouri Filed Oct. 5, 1964, Ser. No. 401,487 4 Claims. (Cl. 34133) The invention relates to laundry tumbling apparatus for drying laundered articles, and more particularly relates to an improved construction of a rotatable tumbling drum mounted for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, in which the drum is provided with a circumferential air receiving chamber for applying the air to the laundered articles in an inner drying cylinder.

An important feature and object of the present invention is that it provides a rotatable tumbling drum formed of a pair of concentric cylinders in which an outer circumferential cylinder and a perforated inner cylinder are joined together and turn as one to result in the passing of all heated air resulting in increased air flow into the laundered articles that are within the inner cylinder so that ultimate and maximum contact of the air with the load is thereby achieved, and the load thus comes into contact with more heated air before it is exhausted from the tumbling drum.

A further object of the invention is the provision of baffles between the inner and outer cylinders for eliminating the by-passing of all air so that the air is not permitted to circulate around and between the concentric cylinders comprising the tumbling drum, and thus compelling the air eventually to pass into the load area of the drum before being exhausted.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a back pan constructed and arranged for introducing heated air at the top of a tumbling drum at a point between two concentric cylinders so that the air is then passed down- Wardly through the drying load, and an exhaust manifold or pan provides for the exhaustion of the air from the bottom portion of the tumbling drum also between two concentric cylinders.

Another object of the invention is the provision of apparatus comprising a pair of concentric cylinders forming a tumbling drum which permits increased air to circulate through the cylinders and directs the air substantially evenly through the load contents of the tumbling drum. Thus, since an increased measure of air contacts the load, faster and more economical drying is made possible in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

These and other new objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the improved tumbling drum apparatus with the operative parts positioned for a tumbling operation, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view of the improved tumbling drum apparatus with the tumbling drum in its unloading or discharging position;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded side perspective view showing the component parts of the tumbling drum in relationship to the back pan, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention a part of the outer drum Wall broken away to show the inner drum;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the improved tumbling drum apparatus;

FIGURE 5 is a rear elevational view of the back pan used in the apparatus;

FIGURE 6 is a rear elevational view of the back plate of the tumbling drum;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view taken along lines 77 of FIG. 1, with some parts being omitted for the sake of clarity; and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a portion of the apparatus taken on the lines 88 of FIG. 6 and including a portion of plate 92.

In general, the apparatus of the improved tumbling drum for removing water in drying material comprises a rotatable tumbler or tumbling drum mounted for swinging movement about a horizontal axis so that the opening in the tumbling drum may be positioned between a loadreceiving and a load-discharging position. In accordance with the invention, there are provided means for rotating the tumbling drum, as well as a circumferential air-receiving chamber in the tumbling drum for improving the flow of air through the laundered articles to assure more rapid and thorough drying thereof. The invention provides also means for supplying heated air to the tumbling drum and for exhausting it therefrom during the tumbling operation, including a novel back pan, tumbling drum, and air-applying apparatus for directing the air into the tumbling drum.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a main supporting base frame 10 of the improved tumbling drum apparatus, consisting of end frame members 12, 14 and transverse frame members 16, 18 connected by welding to the end frame members. Braces 20, 22 may be provided for strengthening and rigidifying the frame 10. The end frame members 12, 14 are formed with vertical corner posts 24, 26 connected by upper and lower horizontally disposed structural member 28, 30; the corner posts 24, 26 preferably extending below the lower structural member 30 to provide legs for the frame. In leveling the apparatus of the invention with respect to the floor, there are provided screw-type adjustable devices 32 which are mounted on the lower ends of the vertical corner posts 24, 26 to assist and provide for leveling the apparatus. Mounted from the end frame members 12, 14 is a bearing 34 for receiving a hollow trunnion or stub shaft 36. The bearing 34 may be of any suitable type, and is desirably secured to the top of the horizontal structural members 28-, 30; and, as will be apparent, the bearings 34, 34 and trunions 36 at the opposite ends of the frame 10 are axailly aligned.

The trunions 36 support for rotation thereon a cradle or frame 38, 38 which carries a rotable tumbler or tumbling drum 40. The end flanges or plate members 42, 44 are preferably circular in shape. The plate member 42 is provided with an outwardly opening, substantially U- shaped, groove or track 48 around its periphery for receiving a chain belt 50 for driving the plate member about its axis, as will be described hereinbelow As disclosed in F. L. Purkett Patent No. 2,952,447, the doors 51 close the open end of the tumbler drum 40. They are shown closed in FIGURES 1 and 4. They are opened during loading and unloading as shown in the dot and dash lines in FIGURE 4. The drum is rotated from the loading and tumbling position of FIGURES- 1 and 7 to the unloading position of FIGURE'Z, about the shafts 36. In unloading position, the load is discharged through funnel 53 supported on frame members 26.

The tumbler or tumbling drum 40 is rotatably carried on a rotatable stub shaft 54, as described above, by a bearing arrangement 56 (FIG. 5). The bearing arrangement 56 in turn is carried by the side frame member 58 (FIG. 2) of a yoke-shaped frame 60 (FIG. 2), suitable braces between the member 58 and the end plates 42, 44 being provided where needed to strengthen and rigidify the structure.

The tumbling drum 40 is provided, as shown in FIG. with a back plate 64 mounted from the bearing -rangement 56, and from the peripheral portions of the rck plate is a cylindrically configured body or wall 5. The back plat-e 64 is provided with rings and radially isposed spokes 68. The ring and spoke arrangement 68 arm a sturdy wheel type construction for supporting the lmbling drum 40. The forward end of the tumbling turn is formed in a f rusto-conically shaped wall 72 rovided with a relatively large opening 74, seen in 16. 2, through which the tumbler may be loaded and nloaded in a manner that is described in F. L. Purkett atent No. 2,952,447, granted Sept. 13, 1960.

The interior walls of the tumbler drum are provided 'ith ribs 78 to assist in lifting and dropping articles to rovide the desired tumbling action, as well as to direct nd expose heated air onto the articles being acted upon. he ribs 78, 78 are mounted on an interior perforated ylinder 80 in which the rear edge thereof is mounted gainst the back plate 64. The forward or leading poron of the perforated cylinder '80 is combined into ac frusto-conically shaped wall 72 and terminates at lip 2 thereof. Between the inner perforated cylinder 80 and he outer shell or cylinder of the tumbling drum there re provided web structures 84, 84 that are substantially adially disposed in supporting relation between the inner ylinder 80 and the outer cylinder 86 which is the outide wall of the tumbling drum 40. While the outside vall of the tumbling drum 40 is imperforate, the inner :ylinder 80 is substantially perforated throughout its enire surface for providing air passage from the chamber aetween the cylinders 80, 86 to the article tumbling porion of the inner cylinder 80. The "back plate 64 is proided with perforated portions throughout circular porions thereof, until the outer orifices 88, 88 which are eft open, and this portion is bridged only by the spoke arrangement 68.

The tumbling drum 40 is mounted for free rotation [bout its bearing shaft 54 which is inserted in the bearng arrangement 56 in a back p-an 92. The back pan is :onstructed in a way similar to the back plate 64 in that .t is disposed to have substantially like number of spoke and ring arrangements 94 for providing a structural basis to the back pan. The back pan 92 is mounted stationary 3n the bearing 56 while the tumbling drum 40 is readily rotatable, and is in a substantially sealed relationship with respect to the back pan 92, as shown in FIGURE 8.

The back pan contains an intake manifold frame 96, as shown in FIGURE 5, so that there is provided coupling means to support an air intake manifold, adapted to be secured onto the intake manifold frame 96. Thus there is provided a passageway and conduit for providing air to the central portion of the inner cylinder 88 by passing air from the intake manifold to and through the intake manifold frame '96, then passing the air through orifices 88 that are in substantial alignment therewith as they rotate about its axis in bearing 56, then into the chamber formed between the cylinders 80, 86, and then into the articles being tumbled and rotated within the inner cylinder. After the air contacts these articles and withdraws the moisture that may be in the articles, the air is then passed or drawn downwardly through the perforated lower portion of cylinder 80 into the chamber again between cylinders 80, 86, and then through the lower orifices 88, 88 that are in substantial alignment with an exhaust manifold frame 100, shown in FIGURE 5. The exhaust manifold frame provides support and means to couple and secure an exhaust manifold frame 102 so that the air is drawn oif and passed through the exhaust manifold frame of the back pan 92.

Rotation of the tumbling drum is eifected by a pulley and belt arrangement consisting of belts 106, an idler pulley 108, and a driving pulley 110 driven by an electric motor 112 carried and mounted on the end flange member 42 of the cradle. The driving pulley 110 is rotatably mounted directly on a frame 114 secured to the plate members 42, 44 while the idler pulley 108 is rotatably mounted on an auxiliary frame 118 slideably mounted on the main frame 114. The auxiliary frame 118 is connected to the main frame 114 by an adjustable connection 120 which permits adjustment of the auxiliary frame to maintain a desired tension on the belts 106.

While it may be expedient to provide a heating element within and between the back plate 64 and the back pan 92, it is within the scope of the invention and is the preferred embodiment thereof to provide heating means external of the main supporting base frame 10 and its attendant apparatus so that the heat may already have been applied to the air as it is applied and forced through the tumbling drum as it is applied through the intake manifold and exhausted from the exhaust manifold. The embodiment of providing a heating element between the spokes of the back pan and those of the back plate is generally suggested and disclosed in F. L. Purkett Patent No. 2,952,- 447, in which a plurality of concentrically arranged heating coils are connected to heat the incoming air applied to the tumbling drum.

Additional embodiments of the invention in this specification will occur to others and therefore it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited only by the appended claims and not by the embodiments described hereinabove. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Article conditioning apparatus for laundries comprising a rotatable tumbling drum mounted for swinging movement about a horizontal axis between loading and discharging positions, said tumbling drum being formed with inner and outer cylindrical bodies commonly terminating in a frusto-conical Wall at one end in a centrally disposed opening for loading and unloading the tumbling drum, a perforated wall in said tumbling drum adjacent the end opposite said opening and generally transverse to the inner and outer cylinder bodies, a closure pan for the said opposite end of said tumbling drum spaced from the perforated wall to provide a chamber therehetween and mounted for swinging movement therewith, said closure pan having an inlet fitting for said air, and a source of air under pressure, movable into and out of communication with said closure pan as the tumbling drum is swung between loading and discharging positions.

2. Article conditioning apparatus for laundries comprising a rotatable tumbling drum mounted for swinging movement about a horizontal axis between loading and discharging positions, said tumbling drum being formed with inner and outer cylindrical bodies commonly terminating in a frusto-conical wall at one end in a centrally disposed opening for loading and unloading the tumbling drum, the inner wall having perforations for passing air, a perforated wall in said tumbling drum adjacent the end opposite said opening and generally transverse to the inner and outer cylinder bodies, a closure pan for the said opposite end of said tumbling drum spaced from the perforated wall to provide a chamber therebetween and mounted for swinging movement therewith, said closure pan having an inlet fitting for said air and a source for supplying heated air under pressure, movable into and out of communication with said closure pan as the tumbling drum is swung between loading and discharging positions.

3. Article conditioning apparatus for laundries comprising a rotatable tumbling drum mounted for rotatable movement about an axis, said tumbling drum having outer and inner coaxial cylindrical bodies commonly terminating in a frusto-conical wall at one end thereof and having a centrally disposed opening for loading and unloading the inner body, the wall of said inner body having perforations for passing air, a series of peripherally disposed web-like partitions between said inner and outer cylinder forming longitudinal chambers, a wall in said tumbling drum adjacent the end opposite said opening and generally transverse to the axis of the drum being perforated in the area opposite the inner cylinder, a closure means for the said opposite end of said tumbling drum spaced from the perforated partition member to provide an air chamber therebetween, said closure means having a plurality of openings in the periphery of the end wall of said drum for communication between the air inlet fitting and said longitudinal chambers and a source of air under pressure movable into and out of communication with said openings.

4. Article conditioning apparatus for laundries comprising a rotatable tumbling drum, said tumbling drum being formed with outer and inner cylindrical drum walls commonly terminating in a frusto-conical wall and having a centrally disposed opening, an inner wall for said inner body having perforations for passing air, a series of peripherally disposed ribs between said drum and said inner body forming longitudinal chambers, a perforated wall in said tumbling drum forming an air passing chamber with the portion of the drum adjacent the end opposite said drum opening and generally transverse to the inner body, closure means for the rear of the drum having a plurality of openings in the periphery of the end Wall and inlet and outlet fittings for air and movable into and out of communication with said closure means of said drum for communication between the air inlet and outlet fittings and said longitudinal chambers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,026,189 12/1935 Purkett 259-81 2,712,183 7/1955 Jorgenson 34-133 2,782,622 2/ 1957 Candor 68-20 2,802,283 8/1957 Strike 34-133 2,855,698 10/1958 Hutt 34-133 2,952,447 9/ 1960 Purkett 259-81 3,067,986 12/1962 Grantham 34-133 3,121,621 2/1964 Jackson 34-133 EDGAR W. GEOGHEGAN, Primary Examiner.

B. L. ADAMS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. ARTICLE CONDITIONING APPARATUS FOR LAUNDRIES COMPRISING A ROTATABLE TUMBLING DRUM MOUNTED FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS BETWEEN LOADING AND DISCHARGING POSITIONS, SAID TUMBLING DRUM BEING FORMED WITH INNER AND OUTER CYLINDRICAL BODIES COMMONLY TERMINATING IN A FRUSTO-CONICAL WALL AT ONE END IN A CENTRALLY DISPOSED OPENING FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING THE TUMBLING DRUM, A PERFORATED WALL IN SAID TUMBLING DRUM ADJACENT THE END OPPOSITE SAID OPENING AND GENERALLY TRANSVERSE TO THE INNER AND OUTER CYLINDER BODIES, A CLOSURE PAN FOR THE SAID OPPOSITE END OF SAID TUMBLING DRUM SPACED FROM THE PERFORATED WALL TO PROVIDE A CHAMBER THEREBETWEEN AND MOUNTED FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT THEREWITH, SAID CLOSURE PAN HAVING AN INLET FITTING FOR SAID AIR, AND A SOURCE OF AIR UNDER PRESSURE, MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CLOSURE PAN AS THE TUMBLING DRUM IS SWUNG BETWEEN LOADING AND DISCHARGING POSITIONS. 